When providing services to individuals of Latin American descent living in the U.S., service agencies whether public or private are faced with three overarching issues: the dramatically growing population, the different values and cultures based on their heritage and levels of acculturation, and the different life contexts which influence their needs. Taken together, these issues suggest a more comprehensive effort is needed to effectively service this population.

Within the City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department, the Latino Institute was developed to help address these issues and to serve as a bridge between the City and the Latino community. Today, the Latino Institute produces numerous programs for the community and serves as an outreach specialist that provides special events, networking, and cultural competency expertise to the City and agencies which aim to provide services to the Latino community. Over the past 12 years, the Latino Institute has gained a number of insights which have helped their program to succeed where others have not. These four key insights will be discussed in this blog.

First, the importance of partnerships is paramount. Approximately 80% of the Latino Institute budget is funded via sponsorship and programming fees with the remaining funds coming from the City of Phoenix. Funding through the City has fluctuated over the…

A few Decembers ago when I was home in Vancouver, I went with some girlfriends to serve breakfast and hand out holiday gift bags at a drop-in center for the less fortunate, where community members are offered shelter, activities, and a daily hot meal. The morning that we went also happened to be Women’s Wednesday.

I don’t remember her name, or really what she looked like, but I remember her asking us for a pen to write with. I also remember her sitting by herself, hunched over a table, long after the scrambled eggs and hash browns had run out.

Once we had finished cleaning up and were getting ready to leave, she came into the kitchen. She handed a few of us letters, said they were for everyone, and then she left.

The letter that I held was titled “Favorite Ladies,” and this is what it said:

I have been fortunate to practice a professional craft in many careers, ever since junior high school when my first job was selling comic books and trading cards. After I graduated from college, I served as a sales rep for a veterinary pharmaceutical company, before transitioning into a 10-year career in the nonprofit sector. My most recent career is as a full-time stay-at-home dad (or chief life-quality officer, as my wife likes to say!).

While my list of professions is quite varied, in each one I have made it a point to seek out and participate in professional development and networking to help improve my practice. Early in my career it was pretty informal. Working in the comic book store, I would make sure to talk to the sales reps who sold us products, along with visiting trade shows where I would talk to as many vendors and other shop workers as I could. Working in pharmaceutical sales, I was fortunate to receive extensive in-company training, yet I continued to seek out external workshops, along with networking with both in-company and out-of-company peers. And, while at Valley of the Sun United Way, where I also received excellent in-house training, I was able to successfully self-advocate to attend two different national conferences and several local conferences.

Through my participation in these activities, I have been a better resource to customers and clients, a stronger partner with those whom I am collaborating, and a more…

Welcome to Research Friday! As part of a continuing series, we invite a nonprofit scholar, student, or professional to highlight current research reports or studies and discuss how they can inform and improve day-to-day nonprofit practice.

Brands like Coca-Cola and Nike have one thing in common: they are known and recognized worldwide. These corporate-born brands have become some of the most iconic images in the world.1 But brand value is just as important in the nonprofit sector as it is in the for-profit sector.

In a recent study published in the Journal of Business Research, a brand is defined as “a name, term, sign, drawing, or any combinations of these, that serve to identify a firm’s goods and services and differentiate them from those of competitors.”2 Nonprofits usually offer intangible services to their communities, in contrast to the tangible products and services usually offered by for-profit companies. This can make branding more difficult for nonprofits.3

I want to…

So many people are searching for meaning and happiness. They want soul-soaking peace that grounds them, the deep satisfaction of knowing they made a difference and, oh by the way, a way to support their family would be nice! That search combined with the tremendous shifts and losses of money, possessions, and position that has occurred during the Great Recession makes it no surprise that many people are considering switching careers into a nonprofit environment.

Before you make the big leap, there are small steps you can take that will make an impact and determine whether or not the nonprofit world is for you. You can find depth and meaning by focusing on learning, compassion and contribution to expand your impact in the world, experience the nonprofit sector and make yourself happier along the way.

Learn

Regardless of the economy, your resources, or the political climate, there is always the opportunity to learn more. By learning and reading, you grow your world, your self, your compassion and tolerance for the differences that are all around us. Educational institutions like ASU and others are actively promoting online courses, as well as other resources available on the Internet and at local libraries. Find a subject and immerse yourself. Read about it. Talk about it. Think about it. Saturate…